Flag Pole and Parade Ground

Flag flying over the parade ground

NPS/ Pat Schmidt

Quick Facts

Location:

Parade Ground

Amenities

2 listed

Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Wheelchair Accessible

From 1846-1871 soldiers trained, drilled, and performed ceremonies on the parade ground making it the center of life at the fort. A quarter mile of sidewalk surrounds the parade ground. 

The flagpole in the center of the parade ground is a reproduction of the original built in 1846. The replica 37-star the final flag known to have been flown by the army here from 1867-71.The U.S. Army built the original flagstaff at the second Fort Smith in 1846. As with many western military posts, the flagstaff stood tall so that its flag could be seen for miles. To attain a height of nearly 100 feet, the flagstaff builders joined two poles in the same way that ship masts were built. Shroud lines attached to crosstrees supported the area where the poles were joined, while guidelines and an underground wooden structure stabilized the base.